21-year-old Ternielle Nelson Receives Invaluable Support

19 March 2010

Ternielle Nelson may be a newcomer to the South African music scene but her debut album is so startlingly assured, it’s already winning over fans and critics alike. And that is not all - taking the journey with Nelson are several sponsors who believe wholeheartedly in this newcomer’s talent.

Click on this link to listen to her unplugged courtesy of Sowetan.co.za: http://www.sowetan.co.za/multimedia/video/ternielle.wmv

Innovative young clothing brand, Heilie Clothing and Bronx shoes (part of Jordan Shoes) have put their weight behind her. “After hearing Ternielle’s album, we were taken by the freshness and sincerity of her music and truly wanted even more to be a part of what will be a terrific adventure for her breaking into the limelight of South African artists,” says Heilie Clothing’s Talia Botha.

Adding substantial support to Nelson’s foray into music world is eco lodge and day spa, Thaba Ya Batswana, located in the Klipriversberg Nature Reserve area of Johannesburg’s southern reaches. Marketing head, Rueben Louw says the fit between Nelson and her music and the lodge is a natural one. “Ternielle has such a lovely organic way about her and this fits in perfectly with our Eco Hotel. The Title of her first CD ‘UNEARTHED’ further emphasizes this green partnership that we have between ourselves. Her music style is contemporary African and this is exactly the style that we have used for the exterior and interior design of our new hotel rooms called the Bushveld suites.”

In celebration of this partnership, each copy of UNEARTHED will include a competition element that gives fans a chance to win a weekend for two at Thaba Ya Batswana and also meet Nelson at one of seven live performances planned at the venue this year.

Details of the competition, live shows and more can be found on www.ternielle.com

Titled ‘UNEARTHED’, the 21-year-old’s first record is evidence that the singer-songwriter tradition is alive and blossoming in South Africa.

Here it is delivered with an enthralling twist that touches on the jazz and neo-Soul ingredients that are so current at the moment but also includes pop and Afro-soul and folk in the mix. And the result is an album that cements Nelson’s standing as one of 2010’s most exciting prospects.

The Durban-raised, Joburg-living singer and songwriter’s talents were first spotted by SA music scene veteran, Selaelo Selota, who noticed her during a year-end concert at the Central Johannesburg College where Nelson was studying. The multiple-award winning artist and producer later urged Nelson to enter the studio to record her debut.

“I think that the fact that I play guitar and write my own songs impressed Selaelo,” Nelson explains. “But I like the fact that he waited a bit for me to develop my craft after first seeing me in 2004, because it was only towards the end of my studies that he suggested I come into the studio.”

With ‘UNEARTHED’ Nelson has crafted a sound that’s uniquely hers, untainted by the need to be like anyone else in the South African or global market. Much of this has to do with Nelson’s determination not to take the route into R&B that many expect of someone with who grew up in Newlands East in Durban and was “fed” an endless diet of the genre.

In a set of songs she loosely terms ‘Tribal Folk Pop,’ Nelson shows off the melodic and lyrical strengths that belie her youth. A fine example of this is ‘No Condition’, one of the album’s most elegant songs. Beautifully served by Malatji’s sensitive piano-playing and the most restrained of rhythm sections, the song spotlights the simplicity of what love really can be, if allowed. Just as memorable is ‘Inspire Me’, which has a terrific hook that could easily land the song on radio, ready to capture the hearts of music fans across the land. It’s the same with ‘Core To My Soul’, a nakedly truthful song of adoration that’s as catchy as they come.

But Nelson can also deliver lines that hit home about the reality of being a young, single mum, starting a career in music. Still, even the line “…I hate your money…” in ‘The Truth’ is given just the right emotional twist by Nelson’s unusual phrasing and unmissable vocal power.

Given the organic-feel of ‘UNEARTHED’ it’s no surprise to find that Nelson co-wrote every song on the album with Selota, except for ‘Zwi Do Luga’ and ‘Core To My Soul’ which were songs written by a college friend of Nelson’s, Tendani Makhuba. Also contributing was Robin Kohl who recorded mixed and mastered ‘UNEARTHED’, providing the perfect match for Selota’s production. Bolstering Nelson on guitar and lead vocals and Selota on guitar are Malatji on piano, Ameishi Ikechi on bass, Samuel Ibeh on drums and Basi Mahlasela on percussion.

For Nelson, it’s deeply satisfying to know she now has the chance to earn an audience with her album and upcoming live shows.

“Unearthed has a very significant meaning for me, in terms of where I am in my life and my career,” she says. “It’s a sign that I am set free and dug out and not succumbing to the norms in society and also the norms that are expected of me. I define myself not as a coloured woman but, as my song says, as an African Woman who is able to rise above the difficult cycles of my life. Unearthed is the word I choose to use as a sign of new things and possibilities as I journey through this daily”.

UNEARTHED [Debut Album Release Date: 15 March 2010]